Stratford Boat Club’s newly promoted J14 squad enjoyed a superb return to racing at the Evesham Head Race on Saturday, their first head race for almost a year following the summer break.

The standout result came in the J14 Open Single Sculls, where Luke Spurling claimed victory, with Safian Khan securing second place.

There was further success in the J14 Open Coxed Quad, where cox Enoch Stanford guided Ruben Hawkswell, Spurling, Khan and Eftychios Ntoukakis to second place.

The J14 Women’s Coxed Quad of Natasha Wallace (cox), Georgia Wheeler, Margo Paul, Harriet Wheeler and Hattie McGurk finished fourth.

Other J14 crews included Paul and Georgia Wheeler in the Women’s Single Sculls, Wallace and Harriet Wheeler in the Double Sculls, and Open Double Sculls crews featuring Gregor Francis and Hawkswell, alongside Stanford and Ntoukakis.

The squad was well represented across the regatta, with every athlete racing with determination and commitment.

Coach Rebecca Paul said: “Just as importantly, the squad demonstrated excellent teamwork throughout the day, helping each other prepare for races and working together enthusiastically during the post-event clear-up. The athletes represented the club superbly both on and off the water and should be proud of their efforts as they begin the new season.”

The J15 squad also produced strong performances despite increasingly windy conditions. Amelia Cruickshank and Islay Milles won the Division One Women’s Double Sculls by 21 seconds, while Arthur Burt and Archie Mansfield finished five seconds off second place and Ethan Siwakowski and Archie Eaton were eight seconds away.

In Division Two, the boys’ coxed quad of Eaton, Mansfield, Burt and Siwakowski, coxed by Raya Hothi, was later disqualified for a rule infringement after finishing second.

The girls’ coxed quad of Charlotte Franklin, Milles, Cruickshank and Mary Heenan, coxed by Bethany Hammond, won by 35 seconds. Charlotte Franklin also won the Division Three Women’s Single Sculls by nine seconds in worsening conditions, while Heenan battled to fifth place.

J15 coach Dawson Curnock said: “Overall, a very strong performance and one that we will build upon through the coming winter into regatta season.”

Stratford’s J16 squad also made an encouraging start, with all crews finishing in the top four. Connor Birrell narrowly missed second place in the J16 Single Sculls by two seconds, while the Women’s Quad of Abi Dunn, Meredith Paul, Lilly Parsons and Martina Bruce-Bonilla finished second, three seconds behind Stratford’s Women’s Masters crew.

Nathan Lebordais and Reuben Stanford won the Open J16 Double Sculls in 8min 12sec. Dunn and Paul finished second in the Women’s Double Sculls, with Parsons and Bruce-Bonilla fourth.

The Women’s Coxless Quad of Charlotte Mansfield, Scarlett Wheeler, Bethany Hammond and Raya Hothi finished third. Lebordais, Birrell, Tristan Hammick and Stanford also took third overall, recording 7min 40sec as the second-fastest junior boat on the river.